Dozens of mobs have been added toMinecraft’s varied landscapes over the game’s nearly 16-year-long existence. From the teleporting Endermen to the newly introduced Weeping Angel-like Creaking Pale Garden inhabitants, these new mobs have greatly expandedMinecraft’s engaging gameplay via official updates from Mojang. However, updates haven’t always been the sole way new mobs are chosen to populateMinecraft. For a time, players were able to vote on which mobs could be added in the form of semi-annual Mob Votes. While Mob Votes have since been retired, Mojang should still strive to add the outvoted mobs toMinecraftat some point.
Minecraft’s Past Mob Vote Winners Explained
In the live-streamed event MINECON Earth 2017,Mojang held the first official Mob Votewherein viewers can vote on Twitter among four potential new mobs to be added toMinecraft. These four mobs included the hostile water mob, the Barnacle, the insomniac flying hostile mob, the Phantom, the camouflaged item-eating hostile mob, the Great Hunger, and the gigantic, shock wave-creating Blaze variant, the Wildfire. By the end of the vote, the Phantom barely received the majority of votes and was later implemented intoMinecraftUpdate Aquatic in 2018. Since then, five more Mob Votes were held with their mob winners including:
Despite the direct fan involvement with being able to choose a part ofMinecrafthistory, many expressed disappointment that losing mobs would have no chance of being added to the game. Several other fans believed that Mob Votes were rigged due to how difficult some losing mobs would be to add to the game with new, complex mechanics. By September 2024, Mojang responded to fan feedback byofficially retiring Mob Vote fromMinecraftLive events. Additionally, instead of new mobs being implemented alongside one large annual update, Mojang announced that they would be releasing a number of free game drops annually each year, varying in size and features.
The Panda was selected against the Alligator, Golden Monkey, White-lipped Deer, and White Dolphin in an exclusive Mob Vote forMinecraft: Chinese Edition.
The Potential Addition of Minecraft’s Abandoned Mobs
While six mobs were chosen by theMinecraftcommunity to populate the hundreds of cubic worlds, several others were left by the wayside with only modders bringing theirMob Vote concepts into reality. These abandoned mobs included the:
Even though Mojang retired the concept of the Mob Vote and is now adding new mobs such as The Creaking based primarily on their own internal input, there is still a lot of potential for Mojang to improve upon these older designs and later implement them intoMinecraft. If Mojang were to make an update making Nether Fortresses easier to find, the Wildfire could be implemented to make trekking through the Nether Brick mazes more of a challenge. Additionally, if Blazes were allowed to spawn freely in select Nether biomes to make Blaze Rod acquisition easier, theWildfire could be added as a tough defender of Blaze flocksin the wild.
Mojang has slowly been introducing more snow and ice-filled biomes intoMinecraftin the form of Frozen Oceans, Frozen Peaks, Snowy Plains, Snowy Slopes, Ice Spikes, and more. While a few mobs intended to live in these cold environments have been added over the years, such as Goats and Polar Bears, there’s not much incentive for players to look for these biomes specifically. To rectify this issue,Mojang could introduce Iceologers and Penguinsto populate some of these frozen landscapes and drop unique items. Penguins could drop potion ingredients such as Penguin feathers to make potions that increase players’ swimming speed, while Iceologers could drop new splash potions or an entirely new weapon that could instantly freeze opponents and water or simply fire blue ice blocks.
The Possible Return of Minecraft’s Forgotten Humanoid Mobs
All of the Mob Votes' more humanoid-like creatures offered unique, slightly complex gaming mechanics inMinecraft. The Rascal would spawn underground and attempt to hide from players. If the Rascal was found three times, they would reward players with special items such as an enchanted pickaxe. BothCopper and Tuff Golemscan be built and serve as helpful aids in players’ homes, with Copper Golems being able to press buttons and Tuff Golems being able to display items and move around. These humanoid mobs can make both exploring underground caverns and building complex mansions more fun for a variety of players.
While the Wildfire mob hasn’t been implemented into the mainlineMinecraftgame, it was added into the spinoff gameMinecraft Dungeons.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
